The Albuquerque Public Schools finance committee on June 25 reviewed four lease agreements with Clear Channel Outdoor LLC for billboard sites at Hayes Middle School, Albuquerque High School, CEC and Lincoln Complex, and considered a separate lease to allow a new billboard at the Patrick J. Garcia transportation site.

Mr. Hawkes described a competitive process that produced the selected proposals and said the agreements will still require approval by the New Mexico State Board of Finance before they can be executed by the superintendent or deputy superintendent of operations.

Board members pressed staff on purpose, costs and return on investment. Communications staff member Miss Barnhill said she did not have impression figures on hand but could obtain annual impressions from Clear Channel; she pointed to the $91,000 listed as “in kind” value for advertising the district receives on the boards.

Mr. Hawkes and other staff explained the commercial partner leases the district property and pays rent; the district also receives in-kind advertising that the communications department uses for district messaging. As Mr. Hawkes summarized, “But because these are on our property, we actually make money off of it,” and Clear Channel pays rent to the school where the board is located.

The committee also asked about structural responsibility and placement. Staff said Clear Channel is responsible for the structure and repairs, and described the new Patrick J. Garcia site as placed near the front of the transportation property off Osuna.

The leases and the new-billboard lease were included in the committee’s recommended consent agenda; state board of finance approval remains a required next step before execution.